Any Reason Not to Cut Up at Butcher Time?

[Ridgerunner]

@Ridgerunner - what brand Poultry Shears? My 10 year old Wusthof pair spring broke - got a new pair and the spring broke within a year. (Promise we were not abusing them!) They are the sharpest, best all 'round, but I'm afraid they aren't made in Germany anymore and not sure I want to buy yet another.

They have good grips written on them. I don't know how they compare to others but work well enough for me.

 

[trudyg]

I use outside shears, like the ones for trimming rose bushes. Kind of clumsy at times, but will cut thru rib bones. At one time, I cut ribs along the back bone to remove the spine, then pulled the bird apart to get the guts out. I've cut along one side of the breast bone, too. You don't get a pretty breast like from the store, but it worked for me.

 

[wild chick]

@trudyg - I thought it would be easier to cut up the front, my friend & helper thinks she would rather go up the back (she spatchcocks a whole chicken for roasting so she knows how to go up the back). I'm wanting to do this only to make it easier to get the innards out. These are older birds, so they will be pressure cooked/crock pot meat & bone broth, pretty won't matter. If you've done it both ways, does front or back make much difference?

 

[Mosey2003]

I would not try to cut up the front with shears, absolutely not. That keel bone is hefty.

You could cut along the backbone like you would if you were going to spatchcock, I've done that before (on a dressed bird, to cook). What I'm going to try on the next few I do is to cut along the ribs like I do when I piece a bird out, where you cut about midway between the front and back, leaving you the back piece bigger for stock making. I think they'll open up to eviscerate much nicer that way. These birds are going to my friend to make dog food, so I'll just leave them in front and back halves. If I were piecing them out to eat I'd probably take the thigh quarters off first.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I take the thighs and wings off before I cut up the sides to open them up. Gets them out of the way.

When I cut the breasts up into serving pieces, I first take the wishbone off so that is one piece. Then I split the keel bone with the poultry shears to get two breasts. It's not that hard but does take some strength. I think most of it may be more cartilage than bone. The hard part to me is keeping in the middle so I get relatively equal sides. If I leave the wishbone on (I do with pretty small birds like some pullets or sometimes I just forget) the wishbone can be pretty hard to cut through.

Isn't it interesting how many different ways we open the bird up to clean the insides? Just more proof there are many different ways to accomplish about anything with chickens.

 

[AudieWarren]

@trudyg - I thought it would be easier to cut up the front, my friend & helper thinks she would rather go up the back (she spatchcocks a whole chicken for roasting so she knows how to go up the back). I'm wanting to do this only to make it easier to get the innards out. These are older birds, so they will be pressure cooked/crock pot meat & bone broth, pretty won't matter. If you've done it both ways, does front or back make much difference?

I spatchcock chicken often. I think it's easier to cut the back than the breast

 

[trudyg]

I'm not too concerned about what the pieces look like or evenness of the breasts, I mostly cut out the spine with the neck attached so I'd have a big chunk for my stock pot. I mostly cook chicken in the crock pot (so it's ready when I walk in the door at night) and it's falling off the bone by then anyway and comes apart on its own. My grandkids first meat is chicken this way, tender enough to be baby food!

 

[miken56]

I don't know where I saw it but I take out the backbone with poultry shears (sometimes before eviscerating, sometimes after) Then spread them open to reveal the breast bone. If you take a knife and just slightly cut the cartilage right where the wishbone meets the breastbone. Then push down on both halves and the breastbone will pop up. Just run your finger to the rear along the bone and cartilage of the breastbone and lift right out. don't make your initial cut too deep into the cartilage or it has a tendency to split the bone part of the breastbone and makes it harder to remove. then cut though the breast skin and you have perfect flat halves for grilling or what ever. One bad thing about this method is I have to put a sheet of freezer paper or plastic in the vacuum bag so the rib bones don.t puncture them. Super fast and easy method

 

[Mosey2003]

For some reason I just have the damndest time getting the breastbone out or cutting through it. I must be doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what.

 

[miken56]

For some reason I just have the damndest time getting the breastbone out or cutting through it. I must be doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what.

You really don't cut through it, you expose it and run your fingers along the bone and cartilage then lift it out. Come to think of it this may only work with younger chickens, not old hens etc.